The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-27

| the favorite actor, or which opera we like
hest, or the last fashion, and singing
| snatches of the Gilbert and Sullivan and
| Offenbach things, in glides mamma like the
Queen of Hearts after her tarts, and pres
| emily the conversation is all up on the
Browning plane, or the humanities, or poll
tics, and we're no better than dummies"
"What are the humanities, SueW
| "Pshaw!"
| "Wen, l do wonder,' said Prim, 'what
made mamma so very brilliant, and US such
duncesW
"You're not, Prim. You're awfully en-
gaging; you know you are" said Iris. "And
as for us-why, mamma just absorbed it all
herself. It's queer; she doesn't even say,
the way Mrs. Freeman does, that she will
not be thrust aside by ill-mannered young
girls with no experience of the world, and
nothing but compilations; it never enters
her head that she could be thrust aside;
she just treats US as if it never occurred to
her. and couldn't to any one else, that we
were Of any consequence when she was to
be seen, except as her daughters
"If we could only get mamma to do the
way Nellie's mother does, the way Sallie's
mother does, and Hattie's mother, and all
the other mothers! How do you think
it would do if we asked her to let US have
one of the upstairs sleeping rooms furnished
for sitting-room! And then we could all
be sitting there together, and when caller
Mr.. PoindeXter, say-came, we could go
down and leave mamma still sitting up
| there"
81 think l see you doing it," said Iris.
'It would only end by everybody's going
up there where she was" said Prim.
cts an awful pity,' said Iris. "But it's
! no use. 1t would be in so much better taste
if mamma would put herself in the shadow
a little, so much less pronounced. l know
that if Mr. Poindexter has common-sense
he must think So"
There's the dinner BELL" said Prim. 81
think some hot soup and a glass of wine
will make me all right, and 1 hope to take
my lesson in counterpart this afternoon"
II wonder if the time will ever come"
| said /, "wher mamma will let US have lat G
dinners! Iii just like dining in the nurs-
cry"
'Did you notice." said Iris, that night, as
we sat in PRINTS room combing out our hair
and talking, show strange mamma was at
dinner to-day! Not bit like herself; al
most timid and trembling"
THAT'S because she knew that she is to
lose Prm presently to Mr.. Poindexter and
be thrown back on cold comfort, on her
Regain and Goneril, on you and me, Iris,i
said l.
swell, there's no denying 1t, Prim, he's
an excellent match,'' exclaimed Iris, as she
| had done hundred times before. And we
went on extolling Mr.. Poindexter and his
| advantages and disparagng mamma, till
Prim had said: ''Why, Iris, l shouldn't
think you were fond of mamma at ALL and
Iris had answered: 'Fond of her? Pm as
fond as most girls are of their mothers
But mamma is $3.50 exasperatingfy
young" And it was moment afterward
that mamma opened the door of the room
and came in.
She had been with Mrs. Freeman to the
opera, which was having late second sea-
son, and Mrs. Freeman had brought her
home. Somebody had come home with her
it was as much as an hour ago-but we
had been so busy talking we did not notice
the time fly, although we remembered now
that the hall door had closed only few
moments since. But it was too late at this
hour to regret that we had not sat up for
mamma.
Well, certainly, there's no question about
it, mamma was beautiful as she stood there
with tie light streaming over her. She
was in dinner dress, her white China Grape
pearls were clasped at the throat over the
square-cut lace below by turquoise clasp
that made her eyes shine bluer than ever :;
her hair was Just little disordered, one
long black tresS of it falling; her color was
deep and vivid as a rose-she who ordlnari-
~ had so little; and her smile-an angel
who had just found and entered Heaven
may have such a smile. | really thought
that as a distinct creation, as a work of
art, as model for portrait, as pictured
impersonation of summer, for instance, as
as any thing but your mother, you know,
she was deliciously lovely
"My dear girls" she said, moving for
ward in that way she had, which was ex-
actly the manner reigning princess might
have who did not choose to be all the time
dragging round her ermine and crown-a
graciousness that limited of heights, you
Understandable have something pleasant
to tell you, and l will not sleep before ySi
know it. l think, indeed, you have right
to know it."
81 should rather think we have, indeed, -
thought l.
"Mr. Poindexter" she went on, ''did me
did US ala great service today
'Here it comes ~ thought again. "Prim
for certain!n
AHu-dIlu III was HOG easy 10 refuse hin
any thing, if 1 had wished to do so. And
he has asked me-
80, mammal we all cried, breathlessly.
"He has asked me-to be his wife, and l
have promised to marry him in May"
80, mammal" cried Prlm again, spring
ing up and throwing her arms about her, II
am so glad 1t is what suspected, what l
hoped, but l never SAID a word 1 am so
glad"
each other.
And now 1 ask you, as did in the be-
ginning, did you ever know of any thing
more provoking, more Notifying, more
exasperating. Ones own mother!-Rcyytet
Prescott Spotord, IN Harper'S BazGr.